Kevin Haas covers the city of Rockford and the Rockford Park District.

Winnebago County to pay $150K to settle wrongful death suit

About this blog

By Kevin Haas

Kevin Haas covers the city of Rockford and the Rockford Park District. This blog is the place to find out about whatís going on with those governments, their latest projects/proposals and decisions on how they spend your tax dollars.

ROCKFORD — Winnebago County will pay $150,000 to settle a wrongful death suit against the county-owned River Bluff Nursing Home.

LaToya Sykes filed the suit in June 2009 as administrator to the estate of Mattie Lindsey, a former resident of River Bluff. The suit claims that negligent care led to malnutrition, dehydration, skin breakdown, ulcers, inflammation and ultimately an infection that required an amputation above the right knee. It claims that Lindsey died Sept. 4, 2008 at age 75 as a result of poor care.

The suit sought an unspecified amount of money for damages "in excess of this court’s jurisdictional requisite." County Board members decided last week to settle the three-year-old lawsuit. The settlement is not an admission of guilt.

The case goes back to court Nov. 29 where a settlement is expected to be approved.

Read about other recent settlement agreements from Winnebago County HERE and HERE.